Customer Reviews

Less than Crazy: Living Fully with Bipolar II (No. 2)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Im an RN and MHN and I also have Bipolar II. I was expecting something more considering the Authors stated experience but she managed to get a few things very wrong. She also limits the symptoms of bipolar and personalises it. Yes she has bipolar and she has had a hard life. But the biggest mistake in this book is the false claim that bipolar II depression is less than Bipolar 1 depression which it clearly isnt. I could quote a library of books on this, but this is an informal review so I wont. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is initially interested in bipolar, but only if they want another perspective and an additional book for their collection. She could have done so much better, and it also caused me to question the MD who supposedly edited this book. She quotes people that contractict her outright which I also found amusing. To the author, please read more widely and dont be in such a rush to publish "something".

I couldn't put this book down once I realized Dougherty was describing my own painful 20 year struggle with undiagnosed Bipolar II...and then offered solutions. Dougherty takes a weighty scary topic and makes it easy to digest with her friendly and inviting writing style. She has BPII and is a well seasoned medical writer. What I found most helpful were; 1)the anecdotes from a wide variety of patients, 2)the interesting (yes, interesting) descriptions of brain functioning, 3)the diagnostic "tests" you can take, and (most importantly) 4) how she gave me hope I can have a happy and productive life.

A comment on the diagnostic testing, I found them to be KEY. You can take 3 or 4 quizes to see if the symptoms resonate and apply to you. What a relief to see data on a piece of paper that makes me feel I've found the right pidgeon hole for my problem! I've also learned as a patient I need to be in the driver's seat and take action outside the doctor's office to help treat my disease. Of course, I'll share the results with my psychiatrist...and save time and $$ in therapy bills in the process.

Sections include: Part 1)Do I have Bipolar II--and How Does It Affect My Life? Part 2)Why Do I have Bipolar II? Part 3)How is Bipolar II Treated--and How Can I Live Happily?

*****This is a great book to read if you have suffered from depression that has NOT been satisfactorily helped by medication and therapy. You will learn, you may actually have BPII. Dougherty points out that if you were diagnosed with depression more than 7 to 10 years ago there is a 40% you were misdiagnosed. Recent discoveries in brain functioning have altered the picture.

The main negative of the book is the introduction is misleading (which led to the somewhat misleading Editorial Review summary above.) Dougherty describes her OWN struggle with Bipolar II and doesn't clearly state that there are variations. So you may toss the book aside because you don't immediately see yourself...but keep reading! Obviously, the "1 *" reviewer, who admitted she skimmed the book, did just that.

For example, in the intro Dougherty talked about how in a hypomanic state she's a wall flower, well I become the life of the party. Or how in a depressive state she has felt guilty over an "imagined crime" an issue I've never confronted. She also doesn't point out until later in the book that suicide fantasys are not just limited to Bipolar I but also found, sometimes, among BP II sufferers.

After being diagnosed with Bipolar II in March of 2009 I wanted to read more about it before proceeding with treatment. Less Than Crazy is one of the books I ordered and overall I got very little out of it. Dougherty's coverage of Bipolar II is very broad but an inch deep. The book is very easy to read, but that comes at the expense of depth. The substance of the book is so general that you'll come away knowing more about Bipolar II from reading Wikipedia.

First off, the author does a VERY poor job distinguishing Bipolar I from Bipolar II.

Second, she makes an incorrect claim that Bipolar II is a "milder" or "watered down" version of Bipolar I. This is an INCORRECT statement unsupported by psychiatry literature and doctors themselves. Bipolar II is a different disorder that has some commonality with Bipolar I but has a range of symptoms unique to Bipolar II. There are many studies that suggest that suicide rate with Bipolar II is equal or higher to that of Bipolar I, so there is nothing mild about this illness.

Third, the author basically glosses over the symptoms of Bipolar II, such as the deepest depression or the "mixed states," that torture so many of us Bipolar II patients.

I found the personal stories she includes in the book too generic to relate to because they could describe people with a hundred other ailments, people having a tough moment in life, or just lousy personality. I have no more insight into what other people with Bipolar II go through after reading something like "Joe had an inflated sense of entitlement" or "Jane had a hard time getting out of bed."

For readers completely unfamiliar with Bipolar II this may be an OK first read, but this is definitely NOT the book to rely upon if you are looking to truly understand Bipolar II.

As one who has bipolar disorder, I am always looking for books to help me and my family better understand this mood disorder. This book promised same, but instead of doing such, it further confused the diagnoses of I and II. This work concentrated on finding out if you're a "little" or a "lot" bipolar. As one who has suffered many years with this disorder, I could care less about this. I just wanted help understanding as to better manage bipolar. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

My cousin's daughter was recently diagnosed with Bipolar 2 after suffering for years with misdiagnoses. This is a condition about which not a lot was known until a few years ago. I happened on this book and immediately ordered a copy for myself. I was surprised at how readable it is, which was a relief because it makes it more accessible to not only people with the condition, but people who care about them and want to help them. Honestly, I found this book helpful and insightful and I also was intrigued by the author's accounts of living with Bipolar 2, which I suspect affects a lot more people than was initially thought. There is a good mix of clinical info as well as personal anecdotes which add up to a total picture of what to expect and what treatment options are out there. It was especially useful to learn more about the medications that are used, and why. After reading it I decided to give it to my cousin to help her understand her daughter's behaviors.

I found the author's style uppity and the tone like "yeah, I am ill but it was easy to deal with all my qirky anxieties. I had trouble getting into cabs. Like it was scary and something bad might happen." HOLY MOSES. Try 6 months of depression darlin'.
Bipolar II expresses itself often wtih severe depression and also hypomania. Also rapid-cycling as I have.
Her explanation of the/her illness is that she has an anxiety disorder(she wants us to believe that's the main issue with BPD II) and she has NEVER experienced depression. Whoaaaa NELLIE..Her cab phobias and other issues never affected her ability to work ,etc.Her description of her illness does not fit the DSM diagnosis of BPD I or II in my little world.
I have read at least 8 books on mixed bipolar/ soft bipolar/ bipolar II (pick your name)her idea of the illness is wayyyyyyyyyyy off the mark. This book is packed up and will be the VERY FIRST I have EVER returned for a REFUND! PS. I must admit I couldn't gut reading the entire book. So take the review as a skimmer type.

This is the only book I've ever read that focused on type 2 bipolar. I really liked it. Very informative.